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  1. Media Law
February 9, 2010

Brangelina sue News of the World over divorce claims

By Dominic Ponsford

Film stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have opened up a new front in Britain’s privacy law battle after suing the News of the World over allegations they are set to divorce.

The News of the World reported last month that the pair had seen a top divorce lawyer to arrange how to divide up their £205m fortune and custody of their six children.

The story has now been taken down from the NoW website.

Now they have engaged privacy specialists Schillings, the firm behind England football captain John Terry’s failed attempt to gag the NoW from revealing details of his extra marital affair.

Keith Schilling said: ‘The News of the World has failed to meet our clients’ reasonable demands for a retraction of and apology for these false and intrusive allegations which have now been widely republished by mainstream news outlets. We have advised them to bring proceedings, which they have now done.”

The firm said in a statement that it did not have to confirm whether or not the information was true.

But it said: ‘However in this case we can confirm unequivocally, and upon instructions, that the allegations published by the News of the World are false as well as intrusive.”

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The current upper limit for damages in a breach of privacy case was set by Max Mosley when he successfully sued the NoW over revelations about his sex life last year and claimed £60,000 in damages.

But the NoW paid out at least ten times that figure in legal costs.

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